Like many of you, I check my email multiple times a day. Too often, as I’m scrolling through updates from my son’s school, checking my bills or browsing retail deals, an email subject line or sender catches my eye that I know is a scam.

I know I’m not the only one who regularly receives scam messages. A new CNET survey shows that 96% of Americans receive at least one scam message from email, phone calls or texts each week.

CNET’s Danni Santana, who regularly tracks and reports on cybersecurity issues, finds this number concerning, but not surprising. With a rise in data breaches, scammers likely know how to reach you and will try different methods to get you to fall for a scam.

«Data breaches that leak the personal information of everyday Americans, including phone numbers, happen almost every day,» said Santana. «Just about all of us have been affected by one, whether we know it or not.»

With scammers now using artificial intelligence to create more convincing scams to trick us into sharing our information through phone calls, texts and direct social media messages, spotting scam messages has become more difficult. As bad actors leverage AI to get faster and better at crafting scam messages, it’s important to stay vigilant.  

Here’s what else we learned and expert tips to help you avoid falling victim to a scam. 

Most US adults get weekly scam messages

Scammers try to reach us in almost every way we communicate. It can happen when we answer the phone (they might even be trying to get a snippet of our voice to use in another scam later), via text message or through a direct social media message that feels personal and authentic. 

So how do you protect yourself? Here’s what CNET experts recommend.

Most US adults are threatened by email scams weekly

CNET’s survey found that email scams are the most common type of scam message US adults receive on a weekly basis — 90% of Americans get at least one per week. Survey findings also show that older generations, Baby Boomers and Gen X, are the most targeted — 94% of each group receive at least one scam email a week.

Bree Fowler, CNET’s senior security reporter, says phishing emails aren’t as easy to spot anymore.

«It used to be that scammers would go with over-the-top phishing emails that wanted you to ‘Click now!’ saying that you were going to miss out on a great deal, be hit with credit card charges you didn’t make or even go to jail for back taxes,» said Fowler. But people have caught on to what scammers are up to, and now they’re trying to hide in plain sight. 

Before you open an email that could be a scam, look closely at the subject line and sender. Fowler said that scam subject lines are a lot less obnoxious than they used to be. For example, shipping notifications are a still popular scam email that can seem harmless because they impersonate companies, such as Amazon or a bank. 

If you accidentally open the email, hover over the link to see if anything looks suspicious but don’t click it. Fowler also recommends looking for good antivirus software and other security measures such as two-factor authentication and a solid password. 

Phone call scams aren’t slowing down 

I’m all too familiar with getting phone calls from a random phone number in the middle of the day. Scammers are even leaving voicemails now. 

Second to emails, phone scams are the next most common with 83% of US adults saying they receive at least one spam phone call a week. Even worse, 23% say they experience 10 or more scam calls per week. By generation, Boomers receive the most spam calls — 89% receive at least one scam phone call a week.

Nowadays, most phone carriers have features to spot scam calls. My carrier marks these calls as «Spam Risk» to flag suspicious calls to help me better identify them. 

If you answer and suspect it’s a scammer, hang up right away. You can always call the company the caller claimed to work for, like your bank or utility, to check whether the phone call was legitimate.

There’s another risk to talking to scammers on the phone. Some are using artificial intelligence to clone your voice. The scammers then use the recording to make their calls seem more trustworthy to scam others, potentially including your family and friends. The longer a scammer can capture your voice, the more accurate their future calls become. 

Read more: Protect Yourself from Anonymous Calls: Unknown Caller vs. No Caller ID

Text message scams can be sneaky

CNET found that 82% of US adults receive text scams weekly. Thirty-four percent reported receiving one to two text scams per week, while 13% said they get 10 or more per week. 

Scam texts, also known as «smishing,» can add up if you fall for them. US adults lost a whopping $470 million in text scams last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. However, there are ways to catch text scams and keep phishers from stealing your money or identity this way. It starts with being on the lookout for any common scams that are making news headlines. 

Santana said that the fact that we continue to see phishing scams is proof that they’re working. How often you receive unsolicited texts or phone calls could be a coincidence or it could mean scammers think you’re an easy target, he added.

One text scam that’s been common this year is messages from fake agencies about unpaid tolls and threats if you don’t pay your unpaid balance right away. You may also receive fake messages from what appears to be your bank, a government agency like the IRS or Social Security Administration, or even a hopeful scam message about your student loans qualifying for debt relief. Most of these messages come with an urgent request for a response or a payment. 

Santana says it’s best to slow down before taking any action if you get a suspicious text. You don’t need to respond immediately. 

«Whenever you get a random text message claiming you must take action or else, the best thing you can do is take a breath and slow down,» said Santana. «Scammers want you to make rash decisions. But if you calm down and analyze the link or even the language used in the message, you have a good chance of identifying the scam.»

Read more: If Someone Says, ‘You Must Pay, or Else,’ It’s Likely a Scam. Ways to Protect Yourself

If you do open a scam message, avoid clicking on suspicious links and don’t respond. If you don’t recognize the number, block the sender and report it as spam. It’s also recommended to keep an eye out for updates to your phone’s software for spamware defense and security improvements.

Social media scams can look convincing

I’ve fallen for a social media scam before. I received an offer for discounted tickets to a college football game, and I sent the «seller» a few hundred dollars via Zelle before verifying that they were legitimate.

Over half of US adults (60%) receive one or more direct social media messages per week. Gen Z sees the most social media scams — 66% receiving at least one per week. So it’s important to be vigilant and ignore messages from anyone you don’t know. If you receive a suspicious direct message from someone in your contact list, reach out to them via text or the phone to confirm whether it’s legitimate. 

«The same tactics you use to avoid falling for text messages can be applied to scammers sliding into your DMs with ‘too good to be true’ deals or money-making opportunities,» said Santana. Don’t respond to anyone you don’t know, and if you believe your loved one is being impersonated, report the message and user right away. Most importantly, don’t respond. 

Read more: My Kids Were Targeted by Scams. Here’s How I Keep Them Safe

Banks are taking action to protect customers. In March, Chase announced that it would block Zelle transactions initiated on social media to protect customers from being scammed. If you’re wary of conducting a transaction online, try other trusted sites and payment methods that are verified and provide protections for both buyers and sellers, such as eBay and Mercari. 

Most importantly, pay attention to security features and reminders. For example, Venmo asks you to verify the last four digits of a Venmo user you’re unfamiliar with before sending money and to be careful when making online purchases. Most peer-to-peer payment apps don’t offer fraud protection.  

Methodology

CNET commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,437 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken April 28-30, 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults aged 18 and over. 

The Outer Worlds 2, from developer Obsidian Entertainment, is the follow-up to its 2019 sci-fi action RPG that felt like a slightly shallower version of Fallout 4, but in space. There are a few differences between the two games, but one very glaring discrepancy is the price. 

When The Outer Worlds 2 launches on Oct. 29, it will carry a price tag of $80 for both the PC and Xbox versions — a $20 increase from the original game’s $60 launch price in 2019. It’s the second major title confirmed at this higher price, following Mario Kart World for the Switch 2.

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the price of The Outer Worlds 2. 

Back in May, Microsoft announced it was raising prices for its Xbox Series consoles and accessories. While the Xbox Series console price increase can be clearly attributed to tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump back in April — since the system is primarily manufactured in China — pricing for digital products isn’t affected by those tariffs. Also, in the case of Mario Kart World, the game is available on a physical cartridge, which can have an increased cost due to the expense that comes with physical storage. 

In that same announcement, the company said it was also going to increase the price of its first-party games. 

«We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development,» Microsoft said in its announcement about the price increases. «Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.»

Developing a AAA game like The Outer Worlds can be expensive. The first Outer Worlds was speculated to cost between $30 million and $40 million and was noted for having a constrained budget, as team members mentioned in the documentary about the making of the game. In just a matter of a few years, developing the same game can cost double that amount. 

As the price of labor increases and the time for development continues to lengthen, the cost of making games will continue to rise. Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 6 reportedly has a budget of more than $1 billion, partly due to the game being in development for five to seven years. Due to that huge budget, some experts warn not to be surprised if GTA 6 costs $100. 

Fortunately, The Outer Worlds 2 will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch, and Microsoft has given no indication that it plans to increase subscription prices anytime soon. 

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword took me a bit longer than usual. If you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Flower that sounds like a parental nickname
Answer: POPPY

6A clue: Savvy
Answer: AWARE

7A clue: Birthplace of Buddhism
Answer: INDIA

8A clue: Stretches outside of a party?
Answer: LIMOS

9A clue: Button next to «Select» on old Nintendo controllers
Answer: START

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Beach buckets
Answer: PAILS

2D clue: Take responsibility for something
Answer: OWNIT

3D clue: Lakshmi of «Top Chef»
Answer: PADMA

4D clue: Previous
Answer: PRIOR

5D clue: Ingredient that makes bread rise
Answer: YEAST

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.